Apple tells developer of popular iOS 8 widget calculator to remove the widget

One of the coolest features of iOS 8 was the inclusion of support for widgets in the Notification Center on iPhone and iPad, but making full use of that feature has landed at least one developer in hot water. James Thomson, developer of the popular calculator app PCalc, was the recipient of a message from Apple informing him that having a widget in iOS 8 that performs calculations within notification center was not something he could do, and that it must be removed. This is in spite of PCalc being a featured app in the App Store for its calculating widget.

Arbitrary decisions like this harm Apples relationship with developers. If Apple wants developers to keep creating innovative Today View widgets, then it needs to publish detailed, specific guidelines of what widgets can and cannot do. When blood, sweat, tears, and livelihoods are on the line, Ill know it when I see it, doesnt cut it as an App Store approval policy.